Today Hizballah terrorists operating from Lebanon kidnapped two Israeli
soldiers and launched rocket attacks against civilian targets in Israel.
The United States condemns in the strongest terms this unprovoked act of
terrorism, which was timed to exacerbate already high tensions in the
region and sow further violence. We also hold Syria and Iran, which
have provided long-standing support for Hizballah, responsible for
today's violence. We call for the immediate and unconditional release
of the Israeli soldiers.

Hizballah's terrorist operations threaten Lebanon's security and are an
affront to the sovereignty of the Lebanese Government. Hizballah's
actions are not in the interest of the Lebanese people, whose welfare
should not be held hostage to the interests of the Syrian and Iranian
regimes. We reiterate the international community's insistence that all
parties in the region fulfill their obligations under UN Security
Council resolutions 1559 and 1680, and cease all support for Hizballah.